Actuating mechanism for rotary barbers&#39; poles.



' H. L. WLSO.

ACTUATING MECHANIS/ FR ROTARY l RS' POLES.

l APPLICAT MED mmm.

Hl l.a WILSON ACTUATING MECHANRSM FOR RGTAR/ BARBERS POLES. APPLICATION min rfi/m18, 191s.

l5. 2355 latentd Nov. 2?, 1917/.

HARRY L. WILSON, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY IBARBERS POLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, IWF?,

Application led March 28, 1916. Serial No. 87,250.

To all 'Lv/wm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY L. WILSON, a citizen of the aUnited States, residing at Boston, inthe county of Suii'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Actuating Mechanism for Rotary Barbers Poles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in rotary barbers poles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rotary barbers poles and to provide a simple, practical, and comparatively inexpensive pole designed for use in barber shop windows and various other places and adapted to be suspended from the top of a window, a ceilingor other supporting means and capable of reverse rotary movement without visible actuating means and of thereby exciting the curiosity and attracting the attention of passers-by and ai'ording an efficient advertising medium. y

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a rotary barbers pole of this character having counter-balancing means for enabling the suspended barbers pole to be hung with the center of gravity directly below the point of support Aso that the weight of the suspended parts will operate to facilitate the rotary movement of a device.

f Another object of the invention is to pro vide a hollow rotary barbers pole adapted to contain the actuating mechanism and provided also with a conveniently arranged chamber for the reception of the torsional supporting member when shipping and stor ing the device and also when the same is not in use toprevent injury to the said torsional member.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts A hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and Vminor details of construction may be resorted to Withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings- I Figure I is a side elevation partly in section of a rotary torsional barbers pole, constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional vielw of the upper portion of the barbers p Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, the clock motor being shown in end elevation,

Fig. 4L is a similar view of the clock motor being shown in side elevation, n

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, l designates a hollow rotary barbers pole designed to be constructed of any suitable material and designed to be provided with spiral stripes for indicating a barbers pole. The hollow body which is cylindrical is provided with upper and lower heads 2 and 3 forming closures for the ends of the hollow body and suitably secured to the same, the upper head being removable to afford access to an upper chamber or compartment l designed to receive a torsional suspension member 5 when the barbers pole is not in use and also when it is being stored or shipped. The upper compartment 4f is formed by the said closure and a hori- Zontal partition 6 arranged in spaced relation with the upper end of the hollow body and suitably secured within. The partion 6 and the closures 2 are provided with central vertically alined openings 7 and 8 through which passes the torsional supporting member 5 which consists of a narrow strip of metal provided at its upper end with a loop or opening 9 for engaging a hook l0 or other supporting means designed to be secured in the top or ceiling of a window or other superimposed supporting surface. The torsional supporting member is preferably attached at its lower end 11 to the frame or casing 12 of a spring motor or clock movement comprising a train of gears 13 actuated by .a barrel Spring .1t and @strolled by an escapement 15 having a verge rod 16 constituting anoscillatory member and extending into a slot or opening 17 of an arm 1S mounted on land carried by the torsional supporting member 5. The arm 1S which is disposed horizontally is preferably provided with a coiled spring 19 suitably secured to the torsional supporting member and constituting a yieldable connection between the horizontal supporting arm and the torsional member. The horizontal arm is preferably formed integral with the coiled spring and the slot of the arm 1S may be conveniently formed by doubling the material and eX- tending one end into the coiled spring. Any

other suitable forni of slidable or similar connection between the oscillatory arm of the motor and the horizontal arm of the torsional suspension member may of course be employed, and when the horizontal arm is oscillated by the motor the coiled spring forms a yieldable connection and permits the arm to respond prior to the movement of the torsional supporting member, the coiled spring permittingthe horizontal arm to respond instantly and at the same time acting'upon the torsional supporting niember to cause the same to twist horizontally under the action of the spring and the oscil latory arm of the motor. 1t will therefore, be apparent that through the action of the escapement the torsional supporting member will be alternately twisted in opposite directions and will have its lower supporting portion swung first in one direction and then in the other for rotating theV barbers pole or other device. The supporting member 5 may be either a steel ribbon or tape or be made of any other suitable material and the spring motor is suitably secured to the hollow body in the space or compartment 20 below the partition 6 and the hollow cylindrical body is provided at the opposite side of the space or compartment 20 with an adjustable weight Q1 adapted to counterbalance the spring motor in order to arrange the center of gravity directly beneath the point of support to secure a perfect operation of the rotary torsional device. The weight 21 which may be constructed of any suitable material is provided with upper and lower attaching flanges or ears 22 and is fastened to the interior of the hollow cylindrical body 1 by screws 23 or other suitable fastening devices. The weight is adjustable both vertically and horizontally and is adapted to cause the barbers pole with the parts carried thereby to hang in a perpendicular position with the center of gravity directly beneath the point of support. By this construction and arrangement the operatincr mechanism is entirely concealed within t e rotary member or hollow cylindrical body and the weight of the same through the momentum attained by the hollow body in the rotary movement thereof will assist the operation ofthe device and the weight may be increased with advantage up to within a safe margin of the breaking points of the various parts. The hollow body is provided with a suitable opening 24 which is practically concealed from view by being formed in one of the stripes of the barbers pole and which is adapted to permit a key to be introduced into the same for voperating the winding shaft 25 of the spring motor. 1n practice, a spring motor will be employed which will require winding but once a weelor once in two weeks so that the device will run for a relatively long time without requiring attention. The closure 2 is preferably reduced to form an interiorly projecting portion and a shoulder 27 which is adapted to.

rest upon'the upper end of the hollow body but any other suitable closure may of course be provided for the hollow barbers pole.

It will be apparent that the actuatingV mechanism for reversely rotating the barbers pole is concealed within the same so that only the suspending supporting tape or torsional member is visible and that the device will therefore excite the curiosity of the public and attract the same thereby rendering the device an eflicient advertising medium. While the device is shown in the form of a rotary barbers'pole it will be apparent that any form of rotary member may be substituted for the barbers pole.

1What is claimed is 1. A rotary device of the class described including a resilient torsional member, means for attaching the same to a suitable support, a. rotary member carried by the torsional member and means contained within the rotary member for alternately twisting the resilient torsional member in opposite directions whereby the rotary member will be reversely rotated. v

2. A rotary device of the class described including a torsional resilient supporting member arranged vertically and provided at the upper end with means for attaching it to a suitable support, a rotary member carried by the torsional supporting Vmember and means contained within the rotary member for alternately twisting the supporting member in opposite directions whereby the rotary member will be reversely rotated.

3. A rotary device of the class described including a vertically disposed resilient torsional supporting member provided at the upper end with attaching means for securing it to an overhead support, a rotary member into which the said torsional member extends, said rotary member being supported bythe torsional member, a motor provided with an escapement and having an oscillatory member and means connected with the escapement and actuated by the oscillatory member for alternately twisting the torsional supporting member in opposite directions to reversely rotate the rotary member.

4. A rotary device of the class described including a rotary member having an interior compartment, a motor located within the compartment of the said member and provided with an oscillatory member, a torsional supporting member provided with attaching means and carrying the said rotary member and means actuated by the oscillatory member of the motor for alternately twisting the torsional member in opposite directions.

5. A rotary device of the class described including a rotary member having an interior compartment, a motor located within the compartment of the said member and provided with an oscillatory member, a torsional supporting member provided with attaching means and carrying the said rotary member and means actuated by the oscillatory member of the motor for alternately twisting the torsional member in opposite directions, and a weight mounted within the rotary member and adjustable vertically and horizontally to counter-balance the motor and maintain the center of gravity of the rotary member below and in alinement with the center of support.

6. A rotary'device of the class described including a hollow rotary member provided at the upper portion with a partition having an opening, said partition being spaced from the upper end of the rotary member, a removable closure fitted in the upper end of the rotary member and having an opening arranged in alinement with the opening of the partition, a motor secured within the rotary member below the partition and having an oscillatory member, a resilient torsional supporting member secured at its lower end to the motor and extending upwardly through the said openings and provided at the top with attaching means, means actuated by the oscillatory member for alternately twisting the torsional supporting member in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I alliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY L. VlLSON.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH H. ALLEN, BERTRAM BLAIsDnLL.

(tonica of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of @atenta Washington, D. C. 

